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Route Creation
Preliminary Creative and patient minds could try to make a new route or change an existing one. Even with the ample resources you already have, you should be able to make a new route: real world stuff or anything you invent. Though if you are planning to try to make a track of your particular region in the world, you could certainly try, I would not recommend it if you never had to "deal" with the "world editor" of TS. Quite frankly, the editing mode of Train Simulator is not easy, it has its own "logic". Which at times will try your patience and your determination to get things done. As to how things are getting done you will have to bend your ideas and logic to the editor's way, because it will fail the other way round. As an example: early on when creating your own track and scenery you will have to master the flying free camera and selecting objects. The selection is in 3D, but most of the time the things you want to select are not just underneath the cursor. Selecting the desired object, be it scenery or track, is sometimes painfully bewildering. And often enough you will need to deselect again and try, try and try again. With complex scenes and multiple objects one next and on top of each other you often enough will have to reallocate the cursor, turn around, go up and down before the editor would be so kind as to give you the possibility to select. After a while using this weird way of selecting, you should be able to recognize some patterns and it will become less frustrating, but even so, it keeps escaping human logic. Concepts Playmode vs Editing mode Train Simulator has two modes: a play mode and an editing mode. In play mode you can switch to editing mode, in editing mode you can hit the play button and you will be able to continue where you left off. Notice that there is always a scenario loaded, even if you want to change the track or scenery only. A route A route is everything the camera(s) of TS is rendering. Basically what you create is not routes and scenarios but worlds. Whence why the track and its scenery as well as the scenario share the same "world editor". This "world editor" has two modes of its own: route building and scenario building. Since this is about "route creation" we will leave the scenario for another section, but keep in mind that one can't go without the other. Scenarios are meant to be played on a particular route and tracks are been loaded with one active scenario. Route origin TS has something peculiar with the "world" it actually uses the "longitude" and "latitude", which is nice if you are considering a real world track. If the origin is not that important you can start at longitude 0 and latitude 0. Just don't try to find anything at those coordinates on the real world with the google map services, you will find water and nothing else. A track Obviously this is the path your virtual train never leaves. But as to the creating process you will have some things to consider. Tracks are rendered images of the the metal bars and sleepers. The images is a representation of real existing and other tracks. The track is always segmented. Each segment has a maximum length of 500m and has restrictions defined by the applied track rules. Most of the predefined segments will end with a bumper, at which a new segment can be created. The bumper will be changed to a red triangle indicating, these two segments are "welded" or "joined" together making one track. Track rules These "rules" define the restrictions which apply to a particular segment of a track. Te major restrictions involve: * The maximum speed ( 2 speeds ). * If electric locomotives can use the track. Overhead wires, third or fourth rail. * If is this a one-way track or not. Minor definitions: * The "sound" of the track: "track bed rumble" * Superelevated * Uneveness -- I actualy don't even know what this does, anybody else knows? basic definitions: * the name of the track rule * Track type: Main, Yard, ... A scenario Much as a movie-scenario this expects you define what is going on a route or more precise what a player can and have to do. But since this is about building routes, check out (link?) Getting started If you are driving a particular or your fancy made route ... and want to start editing hit the pauze button: either "esc" or The pause menu should popup with the button "World Editor". *comment: the red square around the button is not in the game, I draw it ;-D With entering the world editor, usually leaving you in the loc with some weird textures, you can start flying around with the camera. If you are in the main menu .. hit the "building" button which gives you ** ** Copy ( clone ) a route ** Rename a route ** Delete a route ** Edit a route - entering the world in route editing mode ** Edit a scenario - entering the world in scenario editing mode link? ** Publish your route ** and something called "Open " or in older versions "Open route folder" The "Open" is special: it opens the actual directory with the bare files. If you don't know what you are doing or what the purpose for this particular "option" serves, leave it, you don't really need it. Defining a new route What you need: * A name for the new route: TS uses an "internal" name which translates in a subdirectory where the actual data is kept to make your route work. This name is "unpractical" for human use, it is better to give it a readable comprehensive name, even if your route is not a "real" one. * Longitude, latitude or 0 0: TS does use these coordinates, but it sets them decimal not in degrees and minutes. * The other thing TS needs is basic rules, to get its textures correctly: track type, weather definitions, ... This is done initially by choosing a route which already has been defined previously. If you fill this in when prompted, then a new directory will be created with your new route and you can start editing. Copying also known as cloning a route It is actually more copying then cloning. What TS does is: it creates a new internal name and consequently a new subdirectory and copies all data. The new created route just happens to have the same data as the old one, which could be considered a clone. Conveniently TS will propose the name of the old route to be used with "Copy off" in front of it. You get the choice to either copy the route itself with or without the scenarios. Might I highly recommend this feature to be used frequently. Trust me: TS will crash, sooner or later, make a dump file but otherwise forgot anything you did not save or worse. You will be glad you made a "backup" with this cloning option, consider yourself warned. Rename a route If you are not happy with a name of a route you can always change it with this option. It doesn't do anything else but changing the title of the name in the list. Delete a route Do I have to warn this is a hard delete ? No, it does not make a backup of any kind: it wipes out the subdirectory entirely and any references to it. Reason why it will ask you if you really want to do this an after you hit "yes" the route and its scenarios will be lost for mankind. Edit a route With this you are entering the world editor in route editing mode for the route you choose in the list. Edit a scenario A list will open to give you a choice of scenarios sorted by type of scenario. After choosing a scenario you can hit the "Edit" button after which you are entering the world editor in scenario editing mode for this particular route.